Missionary power
A few days ago, my family and I moved. Again. We move a lot for my husband's job. Anyways, when the sister missionaries in our ward found out we were moving, they offered to come help me pack. This really meant a lot to me. My husband works a lot and we are thousands of miles away from family and most of our friends. They came over for about an hour and a half and helped pack up the kitchen and the kids' clothes. They helped us pack, yes, but more than that, they brought such a wonderful Spirit into our home. It just gave me such hope and such peace that everything would work out. Missionaries can be so powerful. Never forget that. We try to keep the Spirit in our home with appropriate media, scripture study, prayer, etc, but I don't think there's anything quite like the power of a full-time missionary. As a representative of Jesus Christ, you'll spread His light wherever you go.
Advice from a 6-month-old missionary
So it's been six months and five days since I left home to go on what's been THE neatest adventure of my life!
... it's in Idaho, yes. But still an adventure nonetheless! How could being part of the hastening of the work be anything less?
... it's in Idaho, yes. But still an adventure nonetheless! How could being part of the hastening of the work be anything less?
And in the last six months, I've gathered some information that has seemed pretty useful, so I thought I'd pass it on to the world via my sister dearest.
1) Study Preach My Gospel. Study Preach My Gospel. Study Preach My Gospel.
I can't say it enough. Seriously. This stuff is scripture. It's revelation from God to convert both us, the missionaries, and the rest of the world! Use it in everyday life, because it applies to everyday life! And do *not* skip over the scriptures, especially the Bible Dictionary ones. Those are super valuable.
2) Find scriptures by topic (faith, repentance, prophets, etc) that explain what they are really simply and shortly. Write them down on a sticky note in the back of your scriptures for quick reference. You'll start to memorize these as you use them, but for now... it's WAY useful.
3) Don't be afraid to be yourself! You're put where you are because your unique personality will stand out to or connect with someone else. Plus, people can tell when you're being fake. It impresses no one. Realness makes them open up, which helps you know their needs, which helps you help them come unto Christ! Let them get to know you and learn to trust you!
1) Study Preach My Gospel. Study Preach My Gospel. Study Preach My Gospel.
I can't say it enough. Seriously. This stuff is scripture. It's revelation from God to convert both us, the missionaries, and the rest of the world! Use it in everyday life, because it applies to everyday life! And do *not* skip over the scriptures, especially the Bible Dictionary ones. Those are super valuable.
2) Find scriptures by topic (faith, repentance, prophets, etc) that explain what they are really simply and shortly. Write them down on a sticky note in the back of your scriptures for quick reference. You'll start to memorize these as you use them, but for now... it's WAY useful.
3) Don't be afraid to be yourself! You're put where you are because your unique personality will stand out to or connect with someone else. Plus, people can tell when you're being fake. It impresses no one. Realness makes them open up, which helps you know their needs, which helps you help them come unto Christ! Let them get to know you and learn to trust you!
4) Learn how to listen. Don't think about the dog chewing on your bag. Don't worry about how you're going to fit in a scripture or end right on time. When they're talking, listen to what they're saying, what they're implying, and what the spirit is telling you they need to hear. The lesson is not about you learning how to teach, it's about them and their needs, and helping them come closer to God.
5) It's okay to be scared. Everybody is. It's scary talking to strangers, eating with strangers, sharing what's most important to you with strangers. It's scary moving to some seemingly random place and being expected to actively be a part of a life you've never experienced before. But the fear passes. You learn to trust in the Lord, in your companions, and in yourself. You learn that you can do hard things. And people understand and relate to your fear most of the time, anyway!
6) Love your companion! Your companion is your one ally. (Besides your Heavenly Father, of course.) Do everything you can to make that relationship a good one. Be open. Be honest. And be kind. You'll notice little things that will be annoying sometimes, but get over it. Everyone does little things like that. Find ways to serve them and express appreciation for them. Point out their strengths. Be humble enough to let them help with your weaknesses. They can become your family in the field if you let them.
7) Love your peeps! The only way you'll be willing to work hard for these people and consider their needs is if you care about them. If you're struggling in the work, it's because you don't love the people enough. So pray for help to love them, because loving people is hard!
Well, that's my 7 bits of knowledge. Hope it helps! Keep moving forward and remember that this is God's work and he will not let you fail!
Work hard, Pray hard, Play hard!
Work hard, Pray hard, Play hard!
"Together we'll learn"
Being a parent is such a humbling experience. When many people become parents, they can't help but wonder if they are really good enough to take on such a task. Many young people preparing for missions wonder the same thing. While it is important to have a strong testimony and a keen knowledge of the gospel, no one has to know everything to be a parent or to serve a mission.
One of my favorite songs to sing to my kids is Teach Me to Walk in the Light. I especially love the second verse. (Text and music by Clara W. McMaster)
Come, little child, and together we'll learn
Of his commandments, that we may return
Home to his presence, to live in his sight--
Always, always to walk in the light.
"Together we'll learn." When I start doubting myself and wondering if I can really do this mother thing, I remember these words. I am learning right along with my children. My mom always said that she was often learning with me since I was her first child. I finally really understand what she meant. It's okay that I don't know everything. It's okay that I am not the "perfect" mother. I am doing my best to learn and to become a better mom every day as I teach my children. It's the same way with missionary work. It's okay that you don't know everything. It's okay that you are not the "perfect" missionary. As long as you are doing your best to learn and to become a better missionary every day as you teach others.
P.S. Congrats to my cousin who is leaving for the MTC this week!! I'm so excited for you. You'll be awesome. :)
One of my favorite songs to sing to my kids is Teach Me to Walk in the Light. I especially love the second verse. (Text and music by Clara W. McMaster)
Come, little child, and together we'll learn
Of his commandments, that we may return
Home to his presence, to live in his sight--
Always, always to walk in the light.
"Together we'll learn." When I start doubting myself and wondering if I can really do this mother thing, I remember these words. I am learning right along with my children. My mom always said that she was often learning with me since I was her first child. I finally really understand what she meant. It's okay that I don't know everything. It's okay that I am not the "perfect" mother. I am doing my best to learn and to become a better mom every day as I teach my children. It's the same way with missionary work. It's okay that you don't know everything. It's okay that you are not the "perfect" missionary. As long as you are doing your best to learn and to become a better missionary every day as you teach others.
P.S. Congrats to my cousin who is leaving for the MTC this week!! I'm so excited for you. You'll be awesome. :)
Mission Exercising
Anyone who knows me knows that I am NOT an exerciser. Especially running. I hate running. It was really hard for me to wake up every morning as a missionary and exercise for 30 minutes. Part of that was because I really didn't know how to exercise other than going running or doing crunches. And you already know how excited I was about running.
So my question to you is... Do you know how to exercise? It may seem like a simple enough question, but when you have 30 minutes to exercise, what do you do? What if it's really cold outside? Okay, most of you probably know a lot more about exercising than I did. But, it's still something to think about. Remember, you won't have access to a gym, or a treadmill, or work-out DVD's. They will give you an exercise band at the MTC (or at least they did when I was there, anyone know if they still do?) but most of us didn't know how to use it. So you will have the floor, probably a towel or a blanket for an exercise mat, and possibly an exercise band. I ask again, what would you do? If it's good weather, you could go outside and run. Would you get bored of just running all the time? What if your companion is like me and doesn't run? Remember you have to be within sight of your companion at all times. What outdoor exercises are there other than running? You might have a bike, you might not. It depends on the mission and the area.
Today's tip is this: Make sure you have a list of different exercises before you leave for your mission. Make sure you know how to do these exercises correctly and that they help strengthen the part of your body and/or the skills you want to focus on. Also, be sure you find exercises you will enjoy doing. You will be doing them at 6:30 in the morning so make it something worth getting out of bed for! And if you're obedient, you'll be doing it every morning (except Sundays) for 18 months or 2 years so you'll want a variety. You don't want to get bored with it.
I am probably the last person you'd ask for advice about exercising so I will need help from all of you out there. Please comment! RM's, what did you do for exercising on your mission? Anyone have specific work-out DVD's they like? What about Wii Fit Plus or other exercising video games? While you won't have these on your mission, they might be good to use now to get ideas. I bet you could also find tons of ideas on Youtube.
Well, I hope this post was helpful. In a nutshell, learn how to exercise before you leave. You won't regret it.
So my question to you is... Do you know how to exercise? It may seem like a simple enough question, but when you have 30 minutes to exercise, what do you do? What if it's really cold outside? Okay, most of you probably know a lot more about exercising than I did. But, it's still something to think about. Remember, you won't have access to a gym, or a treadmill, or work-out DVD's. They will give you an exercise band at the MTC (or at least they did when I was there, anyone know if they still do?) but most of us didn't know how to use it. So you will have the floor, probably a towel or a blanket for an exercise mat, and possibly an exercise band. I ask again, what would you do? If it's good weather, you could go outside and run. Would you get bored of just running all the time? What if your companion is like me and doesn't run? Remember you have to be within sight of your companion at all times. What outdoor exercises are there other than running? You might have a bike, you might not. It depends on the mission and the area.
Today's tip is this: Make sure you have a list of different exercises before you leave for your mission. Make sure you know how to do these exercises correctly and that they help strengthen the part of your body and/or the skills you want to focus on. Also, be sure you find exercises you will enjoy doing. You will be doing them at 6:30 in the morning so make it something worth getting out of bed for! And if you're obedient, you'll be doing it every morning (except Sundays) for 18 months or 2 years so you'll want a variety. You don't want to get bored with it.
I am probably the last person you'd ask for advice about exercising so I will need help from all of you out there. Please comment! RM's, what did you do for exercising on your mission? Anyone have specific work-out DVD's they like? What about Wii Fit Plus or other exercising video games? While you won't have these on your mission, they might be good to use now to get ideas. I bet you could also find tons of ideas on Youtube.
Well, I hope this post was helpful. In a nutshell, learn how to exercise before you leave. You won't regret it.
Packing a suitcase
My cousin posted this little video on Facebook. I haven't tried it, but it looks awesome! Someone should try it out and then let me know how it goes. :)
"Come Take Your Place"
This is a song that has helped me on multiple occasions in my life, but particularly as a missionary. It will always have a place in my heart.
I want all of you to know that I know these words are true. I know that you are a child of God and that you have a "place in the Father's design." I also know that everyone you come in contact with as a missionary and throughout your life is also a child of God and has a "place in the Father's design."
"Come take your place" as a servant of our Savior, Jesus Christ. You can do it!
~Check out more of her music at hilaryweeks.com
I want all of you to know that I know these words are true. I know that you are a child of God and that you have a "place in the Father's design." I also know that everyone you come in contact with as a missionary and throughout your life is also a child of God and has a "place in the Father's design."
"Come take your place" as a servant of our Savior, Jesus Christ. You can do it!
Come Take Your Place by Hilary Weeks
Can you hear it, Can you hear it,
Angels are calling your name.
Do you feel it, Do you feel it,
Heaven is lighting a flame.
There's a voice in your heart
Whispering who you are.
Can you see it, Can you see it,
Your place in the Father's design.
Are you ready, Are you ready,
This is your season to shine.
There's a voice through the dark
Gathering noble hearts.
You carry the light of His Son
and running through your veins is royal blood.
You're the brave and the strong, you're the faithful.
You have been saved for this moment in time.
You hear the call, you feel the flame, you've been prepared.
Come take your place.
Can you hear the angels calling you
Do you recognize your name
Can you see your part in His design
No one else can take your place.
There's a voice clear and strong,
You're right where you belong.
You carry the light of His Son
And running through your veins is royal blood.
You're the brave and the strong, you're the faithful.
You have been saved for this moment in time.
You hear the call, you feel the flame, you've been prepared.
Come take your place.
You are the brave, you are the strong, you are the faithful ones.
You are the brave, you are the strong, you are the faithful ones.
You carry the light of His Son
And running through your veins is royal blood.
You're the brave and the strong, you're the faithful
You have been saved for this moment in time.
You hear the call, you feel the flame, you've been prepared.
Come take your place.
~Check out more of her music at hilaryweeks.com
How do I stay focused as I prepare to serve a mission?
It is so overwhelming preparing for a mission. There are so many things to think about. "How am I going to find everything I need?" "How do I know what to bring?" "There's so much I want to learn and study before I leave!" "What if I don't know enough? What if my testimony isn't strong enough?" "I don't know if I can do this... am I really good enough to go on a mission?" Here are some ideas to help you stay focused as you prepare.
- Start incorporating a missionary schedule. Wake up at 6:30 am, exercise, study for a half hour or more. Starting your day this way will help you get used to the missionary lifestyle, will give you a great boost for the rest of the day, and will invite the Spirit into your day. Make sure to go to bed by 10:30 pm too! :)
- Study scriptures. Study by topic, or read a story and apply it to your life. See how all four of the standard works link together. Read missionary stories in the scriptures.
- Study other books by the Church. Learn more about Church History and individual prophets.
- Study Preach My Gospel. Study each subject and each principle you will teach about as a missionary. One way to study the lessons is to take each bold heading (for example, God is our Loving Heavenly Father) and write three sentences for each of them. Then practice describing each section as simply as you can out loud. This is something my sister has done in the mission field and it has helped her a lot. Too often we throw so much information on our investigators when really, we just need to focus on the basics. Simple, powerful statements.
- Study "Jesus the Christ" by James E. Talmage. Be careful with it, though, it is best in small dosages. There are a couple of chapters that focus particularly on the apostles and their relationship with Christ, as well as their growth as ministers of Christ. It is wonderful to learn from that book, that they too were inexperienced once, and vastly unprepared at first to be Christ's messengers. But their relationship with Christ was tender and helped them grow, the same way our relationship with Christ helps us meet our challenges.
- Read conference talks about missionary work.
- Read missionary stories from family history. Ask family members and friends for mission stories - both positive and uplifting stories and difficult and discouraging stories.
- Attend mission preparation classes.
- Pray sincerely. Talk to Heavenly Father like you would your best friend. Tell Him what's going on in your life and how you feel about it. Thank Him for the opportunity you have to serve a mission and ask Him for help preparing. Be sure to pay attention to how you feel and to listen for any answers He may have for you.
- Go on exchanges with the missionaries.
- Be a member missionary! Invite any friends who are not members or who are less active to activities. Don't be afraid to open your mouth and talk about the gospel. Befriend any investigators, new converts, and less actives that come to church with the missionaries.
- Attend the temple often. I would recommend at least once a week, if possible. It helps to be spontaneous too and go whenever you feel like it instead of planning ahead. This way Satan doesn't have a chance to stop you.
- Meet with your bishop/branch president regularly. He can help you stay focused on a more personal basis. He can also give you any encouragement that you may need.
- Try to think of Heavenly Father and Christ at all times and ask yourself if you are currently serving Him. Try to see other people as He would see them. As a missionary, more than ever before, you will be constantly thinking of Heavenly Father and Christ and your relationship with them, and you will be thinking "I want to help that lady over there trimming her hedges to have a relationship with God, too."
- Do your best to have a positive attitude with whatever is going on in your life and with anyone you interact with. Pray for help, if you need it. I have a family member who texts uplifting thoughts to her friends and family members a few times a week. This is a great way to keep happy thoughts going not only for you, but for those you know as well.
- Write lists. Write a list of things you want to do to help stay focused. Write a list of items you still need to get. Write a list of things you want or need to do before you leave. Set goals and make plans of what you want to accomplish in the next week, month, before you leave. I don't know about you, but it really helps me sort out my thoughts and be more relaxed if I write everything down.
And most importantly...
- Know that it is perfectly normal to feel Satan's presence more now than ever before. Satan works hard to tell us we're not good enough and to tempt us to do things we wouldn't normally do. You are good enough. You are a child of God and He will help you. It is very normal to feel discouraged, but do your best to push aside those feelings and focus on doing what God wants you to do. You can do it!!
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